Means for mounting oranges for dejuicing operations



Y May 16, 1950 J. HALLER 2,507,667

MEANS FOR MOUNTING ORANGES FOR DEJUICING OPERATIONS Filed Sept. 20, 1945 Piir j g j PM 2/ M @3-6- j p f if \KN W x 2y INVENTOR? 4 JACOB HALLER.

A 7' TORNE K Patented May 16, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MEAN S. FOR MOUNTING ORAN GESI FOR DEJUICING OPERATIONS Jacob Haller, San Francisco, Calif.

Application September 20, 1945, Serial No. 617,513

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in means for and a method of squeezing oranges or the like, and its principal object is to provide a simple mechanical aid for squeezing oranges or other fruit in large quantities, and an improved method for accelerating the operation.

In many commercial stands for selling orange juice, it is customary to provide a relatively simple machine having a motor-driven rotary ,fed by means of a conveyor or similar contrivance. ,Machines of this type are rather complicated, and asa rule involve a considerable amount of expense and space.

In the present invention, it is proposed to provide a means for mounting the oranges in multiples so that they may be cut and squeezed in multiplies, the said means being arranged for :resulting half oranges, also in one operation.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent as .the specification proceeds, and the novel features of my method and machine will be fully defined in the claims attached hereto.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 shows a plan view of one of two trays used in my invention;

' Figure 2, a cross-section taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3, a cross-section taken along line 3---3' of Figure 1;

Figure 4, a side elevation of two trays mounted in operative relation to one another for holding a plurality of oranges;

Figure 5, a section taken along line 5-5 of Figure 4, and showing the mounting means in use in connection with a cutting blade;

Figure 6, a side elevation, showing my mounting means positioned in operative relation to a burr arrangement for a squeezing operation; and

Figure 7, a plan view of a modified form of cup used in my invention.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims hereto attached without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, I have selected, for the purposes of illustration, an arrangement by which four oranges may be handled at the same time, although, of course, the number of oranges may be changed to suit conditions and demand.

As mounting means for the oranges I provide two trays I and2 adapted. to be clamped upon a multiple of oranges on opposite sides so as to leave a central portion of all the oranges exposed for cutting operations, as indicated by the spacing 3.

The trays may be made in any suitable mannerto accomplish the desired purpose. They are exactly alike, and a plan view of one of the trays is shown in'Figure 1.

This tray comprises a series of alined cups 4 suitably interconnected by walls 5 arranged between the cups.

Since it is desirable, for'the purposes of my invention, that not only the full orange be firmly mounted between the two trays, but also, that after the cutting operation, each half-orange resulting therefrom firmly adheres to its respective cup, some suitable means should be provided for anchoring each half orange, while on the other hand means should be provided which make it rather easy to discharge the shell from the cup after the squeezing operation is completed.

While these requirements may be met in many different ways, and I do not desire to limit myself in' any manner to the construction shown, I prefer to make each tray in the form of two half sections '6 and '1 by means of a cut extending centrally Each of the cups has preferably a number of small pins M projecting from the inner face thereof, these pins being made sufficiently long to extend at least partly into the skin of the orange disposed in the cup.

Additional hinges l 4' may be provided in alinement with the hinge I l for giving greater rigidity to the assembly.

To use the trays thus far described, the operator places one tray as in Figure 1, with the cups presented upwardly, holding the tray by means of the handles i2, which he may slightly press together for partly opening the tray sections. While holding the tray thus with one hand, he drops four oranges into the four cups, and their places the other tray, also slightly opened, over the first tray, in registering relation, whereby the four oranges are firmly confined between the two trays, the latter being arranged as in Figure 4.

The cups are substantially semi-circular in form, like one-half of an orange, but they are slightly less in depth than the half-orange, so that the oranges themselves keep the two trays in slightly spaced relation, as indicated at 3.

After the oranges have been positioned in this manner, the operator proceeds to cut all of the oranges in one operation. He may use for this purpose any suitable tool, and for the purposes of illustration, I have shown a rotary cutter l5, mounted on a shaft "5, a considerable portion of the rotary cutter extending beyond a suitable table top I1.

Where this cutter is used, the operator may position the assembled oranges in the manner shown in Figure 5, and by one quick advance of the assembly, with respect to the cutter, may cut all four oranges in a single operation.

The operator now has two trays each containing four half-oranges, which latter are firmly held in the trays by the clamping action, as well as by the pins [4, or by whatever other means is used for anchoring the oranges.

For the squeezing operation, a multiple of burrs 18 may be arranged to correspond to the spacings of the cups in the trays. These burrs may be driven for rotary motion by any suitable means. Each burr may have an electric motor of its own, or the four burrs may be connected by suitable gearing 19 to a single shaft 20.

With this arrangement, it is only necessary for the operator to take each half-tray, to lower the half-oranges upon the burrs for the squeezing operation, then lift the tray and eject the remaining skins by splitting the tray by means of the handles.

To facilitate positioning of the tray with respect to the burrs, I provide a guide channel 2| at each end of the burr arrangement. In each of these channels I preferably provide an adjustable stop 22 to limit the movement of the tray with respect to the burrs.

It will be noted that with the aid of this simple tray arrangement an operator may develop surprising speed in the squeezing of oranges. The trays may be loaded very quickly, and the four oranges may be out almost as fast as a person could cut an individual orange by hand.

The squeezing operation of the four halforanges will not consume any more time than the squeezing of a single orange.

Thus, with my arrangement, the handling of the oranges in multiples, in spite of the simplicity of the device designed for this purpose, tends to greatly increase the output per operator, and at the same time facilitates the work of the operator, since it eliminates manual cutting of the oranges and also hand-squeezing of the halforanges against the burrs.

A minor modification of cup is shown in Figure 7 in which the pins M are omitted, and annular and radial ribs 24 and 25 are provided for holding the oranges in place, the annular ribs being intended principally to hold the half-oranges against dropping, and the radial ribs to hold the same against rotation during the squeezing operation.

I claim:

1. In means for mounting oranges or the like, a flat, portable tray having an alined series of symmetric cups therein, each cup being substantially semi-spherical in form and dimensioned for having one side of an orange fitted therein, but having its rim foreshortened with respect to the median plane of the orange, whereby when the cups of two confronting trays are placed upon an interposed series of oranges, median portions of the latter are left exposed in a common plane for having operations, and the tray being split longitudinally through the cups to present opposing sections adapted for uniform and simultaneous clamping upon the oranges and having unitary means for clamping the sections upon the oranges, comprising a pair of jaws secured upon opposing tray sections, a pivot for the jaws, handles extending from the jaws and projecting beyond the pivot, and spring means urging the jaws upon one another.

2. In means for mounting oranges or the like, a fiat, portable tray having an alined series of symmetric cups therein, each cup being substantially semi-spherical in form and dimensioned for having one side of an orange fitted therein, and the tray being split longitudinally through the cups to present opposing sections adapted for uniform and simultaneous clamping upon the oranges and having unitary means for clamping the sections upon the oranges, comprising a pair of jaws secured upon opposite tray sections, a pivot for the jaws, handles extending from the jaws and projecting beyond the pivot, and spring means urging the jaws upon one another.

JACOB HALLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

